No Port in the Storm
by Usagi Selene
Summary: The Last AU. When Hinata becomes pregnant because of a fling before they got together, Naruto was sure he could handle it no problem...until he found out who the father of her baby was.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: this idea has been killing me for ages and I've been dying to write it. Yes I'm a sasuhina shipper BUT I adore naruhina too so here's me having my cake and eating it so to speak. This is a remix of another story of mine, Safe Travels.

* * *

"N-Naruto? Can we talk?"

It was the subtle stutter as she said his name that let him know something was wrong. All throughout their childhood, Naruto's interactions with the girl who would grow into the woman he loves more than life itself were liberally colored by her infamous timidity around him. Nearly every instance of them seeing or speaking to each other was characterized by her soft voice jittery with nerves, her blushing face, and her downward cast eyes shyly chancing glances at his own, painfully oblivious, face. He had pegged her as weird but dear and left it at that. What an idiot he'd been.

To see her now was to see a woman come into her own, a woman who not only was worthy of his love, but who had surpassed him in a way that was as effortless as it was enchanting. That she counted him deserving of her smiles, of her heart, was the greater mystery in his estimation.

"Of course, hime. What's up?" Naruto replied easily, settling his weight in the chair he sat in so that he could angle his body more fully towards her, giving her the fullness of his attention.

Currently, the two of them were in his tiny apartment, the same apartment he'd had for as long as he could remember. In the corner was his ratty bed, and across from that his modest kitchen, and the first time Hinata set foot in his home he had nearly died of embarrassment, but she had simply smiled and thanked him for inviting her, treating his things as though they had value, and his love for her had deepened and intensified. She was perfect and more than he could ever deserve.

She fidgeted in her seat, her fingers clenched and her gorgeous eyes downcast. Her teeth subtly worried at her plush bottom lip, her cheeks flushed, her full chest beginning to heave with her nerves, and Natuto found himself sitting there with a worrying amount of curiosity, anxiety, and lust at the alluring vision.

"Hinata?"

"I'm pregnant."

For one blissful moment, complete comprehension of his hime's words utterly escaped him. It was impossible for Hinata to be pregnant; even the notion of it was laughable. Everyone knew she was with him, that she had waited patiently for him for years. Who would dare try to pierce the thick boundaries she had surrounded herself, that her very clan had surrounded her, with? Who besides him had begun to peel those layers back to catch a glimpse at the truth of her beauty, her softness, her strength? He couldn't comprehend it, couldn't conceptualize, didn't even want to. Down that path lay jealousy and rage of a size and scope he was afraid to get near, and so, for the first time in his life, Naruto allowed himself the luxury of giving in to shock, of shying away from the reality of her words and instead he found himself operating on autopilot, standing and pulling her trembling form into the warm shelter of his arms, kissing her repeatedly on her forehead and murmuring softly, babbling really, that he didn't care who's it was, if she wanted him with her he would be; eventually pulling away just far enough to tilt her head back, see her lavender eyes shining with unshed tears, cheeks damp with the ones that had escaped, and kiss her.

He meant for it to be soft, chaste, reassuring, but the way she clung to him, her fingers threading through his close cropped hair, her body molding to his, pressing her mouth against his with near uncharacteristic insistence, undid him, and he found himself deepening the kiss, parting her lips and stroking her tongue with his, a needy whine in his throat when she responded eagerly.

His hands were everywhere, touching the sides of her face and her hair, stroking down her sides and back, bunching the fabric of her cute dress in an iron grip and using it to pull her impossibly closer. He needed to be closer, needed to feel her skin against his, needed desperately to know that she was with him and only him, and never mind who she was with before and what he had left behind to grow within her. She belonged to him, and Naruto, well he had always been hers, even when he hadn't known it.

So caught up was he in her taste, her scent, the silkiness of her skin beneath his ravenous fingers, her curves pressed so intimately against the hard planes of his body, that he would have bore her down on the couch and made love to her right then and there were it not for her breaking the kiss and reluctantly pushing him away.

"Wait, I h-have to tell you who the father is," she said breathlessly, lovely face flushed from the intensity of their kisses.

Naruto allowed her the distance, quickly regaining his composure by shoving his hands through his close cropped hair. He gave her a nervous but encouraging grin.

"It doesn't matter to me who he is, but if you think it's important I know then I'm all ears, Hina-chan." He said, and he truly meant it. His love for her knew bounds that he couldn't comprehend, and though it did bother him more than he'd admit that she'd been with another man, he would not leave her side because of the child that was the result.

Hinata fidgeted and bit her lip anxiously, and despite the seriousness of the situation, Naruto found himself charmed by the action.

"Sasuke."

He blinked, uncomprehending.

"Uh...what?" Surely she hadn't said what he thought she had. There was no way. It was impossible.

Hinata met his eyes, two liquid pools of sorrow that threatened to drown him.

"The father...it's Sasuke Uchiha."


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: I'm getting some pretty nasty pms over this silly little fic, not really sure why but oh well. If you read Safe Travels you'll notice some of the details are different, but I didn't want this to be a scene for scene recreation.

* * *

Two weeks. Two long, miserable, weeks had passed since Hinata practically ripped his heart out with her revelation.

Her, pregnant, and the father?

It had to be him, didn't it? Of course it did; it was always him.

Sasuke Uchiha. His brother and his rival in everything.

Apparently that included Hinata.

It was a bright and sunny day even in the midst of the forest where Naruto had secluded himself. Sunlight, clear and warm, filtered in through the treetops and illuminated the swath of destruction he had laid. Splinters were everywhere, the trees they once belonged to were slumped like defeated ninja, their strong roots still groaning from the onslaught of his rage and sorrow.

He sat, back against the remains of a large boulder, head in his hands.

He'd run from her that night.

Unable to look at her, terrified by the swelling wave of anger (at her? At Sasuke? He wasn't sure and didn't want to find out) that threatened to overcome him and drag him under, clutching his chest as though she had physically jammed a kunai in it, he'd escaped the stifling confines of his home and ran.

His voice was hoarse. Had he been screaming this whole time?

He dragged a weary hand down his face, once again pressing his hand to his chest above his heart, tilting his head up. He was so tired, and all he wanted was to crawl into his lumpy bed, Hinata in his arms, and fall asleep with his face buried in her silky black hair.

But no.

He would never hold her in his arms again. He would never fall asleep listening to her breathing, her gorgeous body pressed against his, their fingers entwined just beneath her heavy breasts, her heart pounding as he slowly stroked her skin, sometimes building her up to orgasm, sometimes simply because he loved her and could not stop himself from showing it.

All of that belonged to Sasuke now. Her smiles, her skin, her trembling thighs and heaving breasts, her -

 **Would you stop whining already?**

Naruto grunted, startled out of his morose thoughts by a growling voice full of exasperation.

"Kurama?"

 **Yes. I can hardly hear myself think in here, kit, with all your moaning and groaning. Pathetic.**

Naruto scowled.

"Hey, shut up! I'm really hurting over here, ya know. Ever think about showing some sympathy or something?"

Kurama laughed, the sound deep enough to subtly shake his bones, and Naruto knew the Fox's next words would probably piss him off.

 **Sympathy? For what purpose should I do so? Had you realized your feelings sooner, your little mate would not have found her pleasures with another man.**

Naruto clenched his hands into two tight fists.

"How could I have known? You know how I grew up; I didn't know love! I didn't know..." He suddenly trailed off, realizing he was nearly shouting, and that, even though he was alone in the clearing, he probably looked crazy.

 **Ahhh, but you knew how she felt, didn't you? She told you, nearly died in the process. And yet you let two years pass before you acted on her confession. How can you blame her?**

"I don't! I just...it's just," he sighed and swallowed heavily, blinking quickly to combat the burning behind his eyes. Kurama waited patiently.

"Out of everyone, why was she with him?" Kurama's chuckle at this set his teeth on edge.

 **Now we come to the heart of it. Do not let your insecurity regarding the Uchiha boy destroy you, kit. I have seen into his heart, and it is nothing but darkness and pain. Your mate will never choose him over you.**

Naruto shook his head at this.

"Sasuke has a good heart, Kurama, and if I didn't know it before then this would prove it. Hinata wouldn't," Naruto paused and closed his eyes.

"Hinata wouldn't have slept with him if she didn't see something worthwhile in him. She must have been hurting so bad." He said softly. Kurama hummed.

 **Don't you think she's hurting now?**

Naruto groaned and flopped down, rubbing his face against the bandages of his arm. He really hated when Kurama was right about something.

"I didn't realize you liked Hina-chan so much, you old fox," Naruto said as he slowly got up and brushed himself off. He looked around to get his bearings, and once he knew where he was, he quickly shot off towards Konoha.

 **Hn. Her cooking is better than yours.** Kurama said, earning a snort from his host.

* * *

The first place Naruto thought to look for Hinata was the Hyuuga compound.

Jumping from roof to roof, he made good time through the village and landed neatly in front of the gates of the sprawling complex. He waved, a little tentatively, at the two guards posted there and was met with two of the coldest glares he had ever been on the receiving end of. His steps, already hesitant, halted completely.

"Uh, hey, is Hinata around?" He asked, scratching his cheek nervously. The guards' eyes narrowed in barely concealed hostility.

"Lady Hinata is no longer a part of our clan," the female of the pair replied, the words seemingly forced from between tightly clenched teeth. The other guard, his build scarily similar to Neji's, openly sneered at his open mouthed surprise at this news.

"B-But why?" He couldn't stop himself from asking.

"I wonder." The male said, condescension coating his words.

 **Let's go, kit.**

Stumbling a little in his shock, Naruto heeded Kurama's words.

The next place his feet took him was Kiba's home, but he was quickly and in no uncertain terms told to fuck off.

After that, he wandered the village a bit, taking in the way people would look at him, whispering to each other as they spotted him and quickly glancing away when he met their eyes.

They all knew, he realized. Maybe they didn't know the exact details, but they knew enough, and they were talking, had probably been talking the whole time he was in the forest.

Somehow he made it to his apartment.

He kicked the door closed behind him and fell on his bed. The heat and pressure that had been building behind his eyes for the last two weeks finally reached a head when he breathed in her scent on his pillows and the full realization of what he had done sunk in. He let the tears fall, and Kurama was silent, not even a hint of his usual snark anywhere to be seen as Naruto cried.

Hinata was gone. He couldn't find her, and no one would tell him where she was.

Logically, he knew there was only one place she could be. Neji would allow no harm to come to his cousin, disowned by their clan or not, but even with that knowledge, Naruto couldn't stop torturing himself with questions.

Was she safe? And warm?

Who was holding her at night when her nightmares got to her?

Was she eating well? She never did when she was stressed or worried.

Did she miss him?

Would she ever forgive him?

Would he ever forgive himself?

He was more certain of the first than the last.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I forgot to mention (mostly because I figured it was obvious) that this story, while having the same idea as Safe Travels, Hinata getting pregnant by Sasuke, is entirely and fundamentally different than Safe Travels. Like...they're not the same story and won't have the same outcome at all! Like at all. The details aren't even the same lol, but if you guys want to call me an evil bitch who has a fetish for cucking Naruto, then go ahead; you're the ones sitting here reading the shit lmao (unless there's someone holding a gun to your head! blink two times for help)

Anyway, switching POVs for a chapter or two, and oh yeah, Neji's alive lol.

* * *

"Naruto asked after you again," Neji said carefully. Hinata hummed quietly and set their tea things on the kitchen table. They were in Neji's apartment just outside the Hyuuga compound, and it had been one month since she told Naruto of her pregnancy. It was breakfast time, and once again Hinata had gone all out with her cooking. There was no way the two of them would be able to finish everything on the table, but Hinata couldn't help that she was a stress cooker.

And she was very stressed.

"You should let me see him, niisan," she finally answered. Neji pursed his lips and looked away, sipping his tea as he did so. Had it been up to Hinata, she would have stayed right where Naruto left her when he left his apartment that night. She would have waited for him for an eternity, had been waiting for three days, obsessively cleaning, and cleaning again, until his tiny apartment had been gleaming. He would come back, she knew he would, and when he did she was going to fall to her knees and beg for his forgiveness.

Even though she didn't deserve it.

Neji, under orders from her father and due to his own worry for her, had found her and brought her back to the Hyuuga compound. Once there, she had been brought before the elders and asked if the rumors circulating the village were true. Was she really with child, and was the father of said child truly the Uchiha. A younger version of her would have dropped her head and stammered out an apology, but Naruto had made her strong, and so she held her head high and said yes, it was as the rumors said. After that there had been no choice. She was a princess of the Hyuuga clan, heiress or not, and the pride of their noble clan would not allow them to harbor one who had behaved so shamefully with one such as the last Uchiha. She had to go. Hinata had known it would be so, had known it from the moment she realized her pregnancy. She was prepared for it. What she had not expected was for her father to allow Neji to rent an apartment outside of the compound and move into with her until she could find something suitable for herself. She also did not expect (because despite her love for her niisan, she remembered the angry boy who hated her so much) Neji to agree as readily as he did. It was a total upending of his well managed life, but he ignored her protestations and did it anyway.

Living with him was not at all terrible. They got along very well and moved around each other as easily as if they had always lived in such tight quarters. There was very little they disagreed on, and where they did differ, they took care of it in the usual Hyuuga manner. despite his introverted tendencies, her teammates came over frequently, and she was able to smile for them when they asked how she was, but she knew Neji saw through her. Shino did as well, but he would never say anything. Not like her niisan.

When Naruto returned to the village, he wouldn't let her see him.

She had tried to seek him out herself, but her every attempt was foiled. Neji had taken a leave of absence from ANBU to take care of her (which she appreciated, really she did, but she was as much of an adult as he was and could take care of herself) which meant that he was nearly always in her company, and when he wasn't, Kiba or Shino was with her. All of them were angry at Naruto for his outburst, which was ridiculous! She was the one who had dropped the knowledge of her pregnancy on him with no warning. She was the one, the idiot, who went and slept with a man she didn't love without protection. It was a fling! One she had nearly completely put from her mind by the time her missed cycle came around. It had meant nothing to her.

But it cost her everything.

Night after night, Hinata saw the look on Naruto's face right before he disappeared into the forest. The confusion, the disbelief, the hurt and betrayal that filled his beautiful blue eyes as her words sunk in haunted her, kept her awake long into the night hours. What she wouldn't give to take it back, to go back in time and push Sasuke away when he leaned down to kiss her. The irony of it all often threatened to rise up and choke her, but she pushed it away, just like she pushed away the despair that loomed overhead like a constant companion.

She'd forgotten herself just once, and this was the result.

"You never said, how this happened. I wasn't aware that you had ever spoken to the Uchiha before," Neji said, deftly ignoring her previous statement and giving voice to something that he was incredibly curious about. Hinata flushed under his curious gaze and delicately traced the rim of her cup.

"It was before Naruto and I started dating," she started, and Neji nodded as if he had figured as much. She bit her lip, trying to decide exactly what to say.

"My solo mission to the Land of Mist; do you remember niisan? On the way back I happened to cross paths with him. We walked together for a few hours, and when night came we made camp together. I think he must have wanted someone even slightly familiar to talk to," she said, glancing at her cousin for a brief moment before continuing to burn a hole in the table. Talking about it, especially to Neji, was proving to be torturous, but he had asked, and so she would answer as best she could.

"He's actually a really good listener, and when he did speak, he always had something of value to add to our conversation. It just sort of happened," she finished, shrugging helplessly. How could she say more when she was still trying to wrap her head around what had happened? Sasuke's reasons would probably always be a mystery to her, he hadn't even been there when she woke the next morning, but Hinata could clearly remember the singular thought she'd had that convinced her to lay with him.

 _Two years of no response is response enough._

She cursed her weakness.

"I suppose there's no use dwelling on it, Lady Hinata. The past can never be changed, and you have options available to you still." Neji said reasonably, rising from his seat to wash his dirty dishes. Hinata nodded, her mind not on what he was saying.

"I just want to see him again," she whispered, and the pain in her voice was a little too much for Neji this time. To say that he hadn't been floored by Hinata's pregnancy would be a lie, but she was his cousin, and there was no one more dear to his heart. It didn't matter that he could understand, to a point, Naruto's reaction. The blond's actions had directly hurt his cousin, and he could abide by that. he and Kiba were in agreement, a testament to the strangeness of the situation, that seeing Naruto would only cause Hinata more pain, but it was painfully obvious to Neji that not seeing him was almost as bad. He would not be the cause of her pain.

Neji sighed, resigned, and dropped gracefully into a crouch next to his miserable little cousin. Hinata tilted her head curiously.

"Niisan?"

"What will seeing Naruto again accomplish, Hinata?" He asked, lightly resting the tips of his fingers on her hand. She immediately covered his larger hand with her other and met his eyes earnestly.

"I have to apologize to him. He deserves that much from me. I betrayed hi-"

"You weren't with him in any capacity when you slept with Sasuke Uchiha. You owe Naruto nothing and have nothing to apologize for," Neji said, neatly interrupting her. Her light hold on his hand tightened.

"You're wrong, Neji. I owe him everything. I have given him my heart and soul, and it was wrong of me to sleep with Sasuke after I had confessed to Naruto. I have to right the great wrong I have done him. I have to, even if it means I have to let him go." She said, and Neji was mildly stunned by the determination in her voice and lavender eyes. He pursed his lips again and shook his head. Now he really had no choice did he?

"Very well, then. Let's go."

"Go?" Neji stood up, favored her confused face with a slight smirk.

"I was going to chase him off first before I brought you to your new apartment, but I see now it would be pointless. At least this way I'll be at hand if he gets any ideas," Neji said, pulling her up. She was slightly stiff with shock as he pulled her to the door, but by the time he had slipped his sandals on, her eyes were misty with thankful tears.

"Are we really going to see him, niisan?" She asked, her softly spoken words doing nothing to hide the tremble in her hands as she pulled her shoes on. Neji nodded once.

"Yes, and you can thank Shino for him being there. He gave the blond idiot a key to the place a week or so ago, and he hasn't once left." He stepped outside, took Hinata's trembling hand in his, and began walking sedately to their destination.

It wasn't very far from Neji's new home, a purposeful choice as he didn't want to be too far away in case she needed anything as her pregnancy advanced. To Hinata, though, the short walk lasted an eternity, and by the time they reached the door of the apartment her cousin had secured for her, her stomach was twisting painfully with nerves. He was just behind the door; she could sense him. Neji gently pushed her in front of him and opened the door.

"I'll be right outside if you need me, Hinata," he whispered. She nodded, immensely thankful for her stoic protector and beloved cousin, and stepped inside.

Naruto, a length of cloth wrapped securely around his head to prevent dust from getting in his sunny hair, turned from dusting the bookshelf to see who had come in and jerked to a stop when he saw her standing just inside the doorway. her stomach clenched, heart thudding in her chest.

"H-H-Hi, Naruto," she stammered. He stared at her, face blank, and dread began to pool, hot and thick, in the pit of her stomach the longer he stared at her. Coming here was a mistake. Courage failing her, Hinata began to turn, every cell in her body urging her to get away from those piercing eyes as fast as she could. Her fingers had only just touched the handle of the door when she was suddenly surrounded by a pair of strong arms and a rock solid body. Her breath caught in her throat.

"N-Naruto?"

"I've been looking everywhere for you," he breathed. She clutched the front of his shirt in her hands, not daring to look up at him.

"I was with Neji," she said faintly. He chuckled, the sound vibrating from his chest to her, and the hard knot of nerves in her belly began to loosen.

"Yeah, I thought as much when I went to your old sensei's house and you weren't there. No one would tell me where you were. I was really worried, ya know." He said. She jerked her head back, finally meeting his gaze in her shock. He was worried about her? After what she did? Her shock must have shown on her face because the serious, relieved, look on his face was replaced by a wide grin, much like the one he used to get as a child when he'd pulled a really good prank.

"R-Really?" She couldn't help but ask. He nodded, and his bandaged hand brushed through her hair, pushing some of it behind her ear. She shivered slightly, and his grin widened.

"Why wouldn't I be? I love you, remember." He said, and it was too much for Hinata. His smile, his arms hugging her to him so tightly, as though he was afraid to let go lest she vanish into thin air, the tender look in his cerulean eyes as he looked down at her; she couldn't stand it, and her iron fisted control over the burning eyes was shattered, and she buried her face in his chest to hide her shameful tears.

"I don't deserve you," she choked out, trying desperately to push back her tears, but they would not be stopped. She had been dying to cry ever since he first ran away, but she wouldn't allow herself to do so; she didn't deserve to wallow in her sadness.

"Don't cry, Hina-chan; it'll be okay," Naruto said, cradling her skull in his hand and holding her even closer, and Hinata wanted desperately to believe him.

But she heard the uncertainty in his voice, and it shook her to the core.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: I want to post a chapter every day because I want to get this over with and focus on other stuff like reading manga and watching Sailor Moon and working on other stories. I get tired of writing smut, I find it really tedious to be honest, but it's easy to do, and sometimes all you want to do after a hard day's work is settle down with some mindless smut to take your mind off your troubles. So if I can provide that little escape for someone, then it was worth the trouble.

There's no pleasing some of you, and that's fine. I'm not going to bend over backwards for any of you or beg you to stop insulting me. You'll do what you want, and so will I.

Anyway, here's chapter four, a little short but it has a purpose.

* * *

The biggest elephant in the room was the baby.

They didn't speak of it for days and days, moving around Hinata's small apartment like strangers, dancing around the issue like two boxers looking for an opening. The tension between them built, Hinata's guilt andNaruto's jealousy rising and rising until they could hardly say one word to each other without forcefully shoving back what they really wanted to say.

What do I have to do to make it up to you? Hinata wanted to scream.

What are you gonna do about that baby? Naruto could hardly stop himself from grabbing her and asking, shaking her until her answer came tumbling out.

"I-I need to see Sasuke," Hinata finally whispered one evening after enduring a silent and awkward dinner.

"Why?" Naruto snapped out, jealousy thick in his voice. Hinata struggled to meet his eyes, cheeks flushing under his heavy stare.

"I want...to get rid of the baby, but it doesn't feel right to do it...without asking him first. Since the baby would be a part of his clan." She said, and Naruto growled lightly at her logic. Getting rid of the baby would be the best option. They could move on with their lives, rebuild their relationship stronger than ever. He would become Hokage, and he would marry her, never let her out of his sight again, and the next time Sasuke laid eyes on her she would be pregnant with his child, and he could, he could...

"Will your clan take you back if there's not a baby?" He suddenly asked. She bit her lip and shrugged, her expression morose.

"I don't know. I...I doubt it." He was ashamed to admit that he felt a small bolt of vindictive pleasure shoot up his spine at this. Being cruel wasn't in his nature, especially not towards her. He swallowed, gathered up the courage to ask his next question.

"Do you want to keep the baby, Hina-chan?" He asked, voice suddenly soft and unsure. She met his eyes across the table. The lavender of her eyes was deeper than he'd ever seen it before.

"I won't lie; I've always wanted children," she paused, folded her hands on the table, and the look in her eyes became so intense and so earnest that Naruto barely dared breathe, "but I can't ask you to help raise a child that isn't yours. That would be the cruelest thing I could do to you, and I've already hurt you so much. If Sasuke decides he wants to keep the child, then I will carry it to term and hand it over to him when it's born, but I decided a long time ago that the only children I want to raise are the ones I had with you."

"And if I said I didn't want to be with you anymore?" He asked carefully. The look in her eyes held, and she straightened her back.

"Then I wouldn't have any children," she answered simply, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. Naruto broke their gaze, looked down instead at his half eaten ramen. He hadn't had much of an appetite lately, which was a real shame because Hinata's ramen was almost as good as Ichiraku's. He hated to waste it.

"I...I don't know if I can do it, hime," he confessed helplessly. She watched as he stood up from his chair and began to pace, every line of his body tense with agitation.

"What if he asks you to have the baby? I'm supposed to watch you get big with his kid? And after that what? We just pretend you two don't have a kid together? We just act like his kid and my future kids aren't related through you?"

Hinata closed her eyes, her shoulders slumping, hand pressed to her mouth. She looked almost as defeated as he felt.

"It was a mistake," she whispered, so quietly Naruto almost didn't hear her. But he did hear her, and all it did was fuel the boiling emotions that were pouring out of him.

"A mistake? I didn't take you for the kind of person to spread her legs for any guy who asked, Hinata. So what was it? What was it about him, huh? Tell me!" He wasn't yelling, quite, but it was close, and the jealousy and insecurity in his voice as he glared at her through tear filled eyes had Hinata shaking in her seat. She didn't want to look at him, didn't want him looking at her and especially not like that. Like she had ripped his heart to pieces. She shrugged, a tiny, jerky movement, her eyes wide and her breath beginning to come out in near hysterical pants. She's been over that night more times than she could count, and every time there was only one thing she could settle on, one thing that even came close to explaining her reckless, thoughtless decision.

"I-It was h-his eyes. They looked so sad and lonely I...I didn't see the harm in it, especially when I had no one myself. It meant nothing," she said shakily. Naruto blinked. She looked away from him, hands coming up to cover her face as she did so. She was always a silent crier. His chest hurt.

"This really, really fucking sucks," he said, a bitter chuckle rumbling from within his chest as he walked to the door and pulled his sandals on. Hinata stood up from her chair, hand fluttering to her chest.

"Where are you going?" There was an unspoken plea for him to stay with her, but she wouldn't force him; she never forced him to do anything. Naruto tilted his head to look back at her, a sad, wry half smile on his face.

"I'm going to get Sasuke."


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Clipping right along aren't we? I can't say I've ever enjoyed writing a story as little as I do this one lol, but I intend to finish what I started.

I wasn't sure if I wanted to include Sakura in this chapter because she wouldn't really be doing anything, but I ultimately decided I should since this chapter more than any other mirrors a chapter from Safe Travels, chapter 2 specifically. That's why this chapter is in Sasuke's POV. It'll likely be the only chapter from his POV in this story because he's not a major part of the story; Naruto and Hinata are.

* * *

Sasuke was somewhere in the Land of Wind when the messenger bird from Konoha found him. It swooped in from the west, its piercing cry catching his attention and making him pause in his long and relentless march. The bird landed gracefully on his shoulder and regarded him with impassive eyes. Sasuke took the scroll from the bird, and with a powerful flap of its wings, it was off again, riding the wind currents and gliding back towards the Leaf.

He carefully studied the scroll in his hand, absently noting that the coloring was different from the usual missives he received, and he found himself wondering if Sakura was doing alright. Shaking the errant thought off, he broke the seal with his teeth and let the scroll unroll. He was just able to recognize the seal for a summoning jutsu before a grim looking shadow clone of Naruto appeared and looked him over with resentful eyes.

"Wha-" was all he was able to get out before the clone grabbed him by the collar and they were both snatched up by a reverse summoning jutsu. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself, still tightly gripped by the clone, standing in the Hokage's office. Kakashi was sitting behind the cluttered desk, beetle black eyes staring at him, the expression in them equal parts disappointed and begrudgingly amused. Sakura was leaning against the same desk, her emerald eyes swimming with tears and her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Sasuke swept his eyes left and spotted the original Naruto by the far edge of the windows, his sharp features in profile and head tilted away as if he was forcing himself to look out on the village and not the scene in the room. A figure seemed to huddle in the shadow Naruto cast, but, as though sensing his attention, hesitantly stepped into the fading afternoon light.

It was Hinata, and she was looking at him as though he was the cause of every problem she had ever had. He frowned slightly and wondered why she would look at him like that. They were friends, he thought; certainly they were on friendlier terms than anyone else could boast. Last he'd seen of her, she was sharing a tender kiss with Naruto mid air, and while he'd thought that was a little dramatic, he was genuinely happy for the both of them and had been expecting to hear of their impending marriage any day now.

Something was wrong.

"What's going on?" He asked, shrugging out of the clone's hold on him. The clone let go, but the scowl on his face deepened. He glanced at Sakura, and she wouldn't meet his eyes. His sense of foreboding rose sharply.

"You weren't going to tell me, were you, Sasuke?" Naruto asked. Sasuke regarded him carefully, willing his body to relax even as the body language of the clone next to him became more aggressive. Naruto was still staring out the window, his jaw clenched so tightly it was a wonder his bones weren't creaking.

"Tell you what, exactly?" The question had barely cleared his teeth before the shadow clone had grabbed him by the collar again and slammed him into the wall. Sasuke grunted from the impact, his Sharingan activating instinctively and hand immediately on the handle of his sword.

"Why did you sleep with Hinata?" The shadow clone snarled, eyes narrowed and whiskers rough. Sasuke pulled in a slow breath. He took in Kakashi calmly watching the scene play out, body deceptively slouched in his chair. He looked then to Sakura, saw her eyes filled with worry and a curious emotion he couldn't quite place. She looked ready to throw herself between the clone and himself and was obviously refraining from doing so. Naruto had finally turned from the window but was not looking at him. Instead he was boring holes in the side of Hinata's face, obviously gauging her reaction to what his clone was doing. And Hinata? She was watching, her face as cool and serene as any Hyuuga.

"Why would you think-"

"I'm pregnant, Sasuke." Hinata said, interrupting him. He couldn't help looking at her with his Sharingan then, staring at her chakra, noting the tiny bundle located in her womb, small now but growing steadily.

"Oh," he said. It was all he could think to say.

"That's all you can say?" The clone asked, shaking him. Annoyance flaring, Sasuke shoved the clone away and brushed himself off. He glared at it, rolling his shoulders to ease the ache in them. That clone had put some force in that last slam.

"Should I lie and say it's not mine?" He snapped. There was an uncomfortable feeling of guilt settling in his stomach, and he had little defense besides anger or irritation to counter it. This was not supposed to be happening.

"It's really yours, Sasuke?" That was Sakura, and the hurt in her voice made his bones ache. Would he ever stop hurting her?

"Sakura. I - "

"I think that's enough chitchat. It's obvious Hinata and Sasuke need to have some alone time. Naruto, Sakura, let's leave them be for a while." Kakashi suddenly interrupted, coming around his large desk and herding Sakura out the door. She walked passed him with her head down, and Sasuke very much wanted to reach out and stop her, to explain himself to her, but she was out the door before he could do so.

"I'd like Naruto to stay, please," Hinata said, and Sasuke nodded, relieved that she'd said it before he had to. Naruto, shocked, dispelled the shadow clone. Kakashi's eyes crinkled in a smile, and he shut the door behind him.

Now it was just the three of them.

"Are you really pregnant," he couldn't help but ask, even though he knew she was.

Hinata nodded and sighed, the sound full of regret.

"Yes, I am. It was a - "

"Mistake. Yeah, I know." He said, finishing her sentence. She hummed quietly and chanced a glance at Naruto. He was staring at the both of them, his cerulean eyes darting back and forth between them, face tight with an unreadable expression.

Silence fell, awkward.

"Are you keeping the baby, then?" Hinata shifted beneath Sasuke's curious gaze. Their eyes met briefly, and though she was no where near as easy to read as Sakura, he could still tell she wasn't entirely comfortable with the answer she was about to give him.

"Only...only if you want to keep it." She finally answered, her voice soft with unhappiness. Sasuke looked away from her, briefly took in Naruto and realized his best friend wanted her to get rid of the child but that desire was warring with his good heart and the guilt he felt over that same desire. Sasuke examined his emotions, turned over and over the idea of being a father, of raising a child. It was almost beyond his ability to comprehend. And yet...

"I would have thought you would want to care for the child," he mused aloud, keen eyes taking in Naruto's fleeting pained expression. Curious.

"It's for the best," she murmured, looking off and away from either of them. Sasuke wasn't so sure about that.

"What about you, Naruto? What do you think Hinata should do?" The blond jerked, startled that Sasuke would ask him his opinion. Naruto shrugged, scratching his cheek and making that ridiculous face he made when he was thinking really hard. Sasuke resisted the urge to pinch the bridge of his nose.

"I...I don't know," Naruto said. He locked eyes with Sasuke, stares at him so openly, and with so much hurt and confusion in his normally cheerful blue eyes, that Sasuke was hard pressed to ignore the intense urge he felt to flee and let the two of them sort this out. But he couldn't; he had to own up to his mistakes.

"I think you should continue the pregnancy, Hinata," he finally said, catching Hinata's gaze and holding it as steadily as he could.

"If, when you give birth, you don't want the child, I...I will take it." Hinata continued to stare at him, the look in her liquid eyes utterly unknowable to him. He returned her gaze, pushing back his fringe so she could look in both his eyes and hopefully understand what he was trying to do. She broke their gaze, looked instead towards Naruto with suddenly pleading eyes. Naruto turned from her, his attention wholly on his oldest friend, his brother.

"I want to know why. Why did you sleep with her if all people, and why do you -" he suddenly broke off, but Sasuke knew him better than he knew himself and perfectly followed his abandoned train of thought. There was little he could say to appease Naruto and quite a bit he could say to piss his off, but Sasuke had never been much of a liar, and he wouldn't start now, not with him, not with Naruto.

"It was her eyes. They were as lonely as mine were. I thought...I thought I could distract her from that, for a little while at least. It meant nothing," he chanced a glance at the Hyuuga, inwardly glad to see his words had only brought relief to her eyes, before settling them once again on Naruto.

"As for the other, well...I don't think my niisan would be very happy with me if I didn't take responsibility for my actions," he said, and it was only slightly a lie. Naruto was silent, eyes murky. The two of them watched him, both anxious for entirely different reasons.

"Stay in the area, but I don't want to see you until the baby's born, you got it?" Naruto growled, not even waiting to see Sasuke's short nod before turning his attention to the small woman beside him. Hinata had her hand out, her desire to comfort the blond obvious. Shoulders slumped, Naruto lightly caught her fingers and pressed them to his mouth. Their attention began focusing inward, and it wasn't long before he knew they had completely shut him out. That was fine.

He needed to find Sakura.


End file.
